This year Sundance Film Festival, the most important and influential fest in the U.S., celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Here is a look at 1985, the first year of the Sundance Film Fest under the leadership of Robert Redford, in terms of films and directors in the Dramatic Competition.
QUESTIONS/ISSUES
Which feature debut was impressive?
Were there any women directors?
Life after Sundance? One-time filmmakers, or directors with sustained careers
Which and how many directors went on to become major forces in indie and/or mainstream Hollywood?
TEN DIRECTORS
At the 1985 Sundance Film Festival, ten directors presented their works in the Dramatic Competition.
Of the ten directors, only one was a woman, Nell Cox, and only one African-American, Bill Duke.
The age of the directors varied from the early 20s (Adam Brooks) to the early 40s (Victor Nunez).
About half of the directors were graduates of film schools, several of them from the NYU Film School, others grads of different disciplines.
Most of the films were feature directorial debuts, such as Joel Coen’s “Blood Simple,” or Jim Jarmusch’s “Stranger Than Paradise,” which had actually premiered at the Cannes Film Fest in 1984, where it won the Camera d’Or.
Directors in Dramatic Competition (A to Z)
Brooks, Adam Almost You
Coen, Joel Blood Simple
Cox, Nell The Roommate
Duke, William The Killing Floor
Jarmusch, Jim Stranger Than Paradise
Keller, Frederick Vamping
King, Rick Hard Choices
Nunez, Victor A Flash of Green
Roth, Bobby Heartbreakers
Van Dusen, Bruce Cold Feet
Films in Dramatic Competition (A to Z)
Almost You
Blood Simple
Cold Feet
Flash of Green, A
Hard Choices
Heartbreakers
Killing Floor, The
Roommate, The
Stranger Than Paradise
Vamping
INDIE IMPACT
Two films made long-lasting impression
Stranger than Paradise
Blood Simple
Victor Nunez would direct in 1993 one of his best features, Ruby in Paradise, putting actress Ashley Judd on the map.